Kansas City dad recalls growing understanding of autism

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Autism was poorly understood in 1974 when Kansas City’s first baby of the new year, Danny Hogan, was born with the developmental disorder.

The Kansas City Star (http://bit.ly/19vlFm7) reports that Danny was 2 when his father, Tom Hogan, realized his son was different. During a father-son walk, he vowed to always be there for his child.

At the time, many child development specialists still blamed parents for failing to nurture the emotional and verbal skills missing in many autistic children.

Tom Hogan has watched the world’s awareness and understanding of autism grow and describes the past 40 years as fulfilling. He says people talk to him sometimes like it’s been a burden. But Tom Hogan refutes that idea. He says his son is his companion and friend.

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